Leeds Centre Accommodation

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Grand Theatre Opera North Northern Ballet Festivals Leeds UK

For theatre, opera, live music, film and festivals Leeds ranks among the best of the UK cities. Offering a host of venues including theatres, independent and mainstream cinema and concert hall space, Leeds is a hub for theatre breaks, film festival jaunts and classical and jazz music days during the annual Leeds Concert season. Leeds is a city with great theatres. The ornate Victorian Grand Theatre has seen recent renovations and now plays host to big musicals often from the West End and Broadway. Move to the West Yorkshire Playhouse for dynamic hard hitting drama, as well as dance, comedy and regular modern interpretations of works by Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Sondheim. Likewise the Carriageworks Theatre on Millennium Square plays host to regular performances of Shakespeare and the best of drama.

The city hosts a number of festivals annually including one of the country's most popular music festivals with rock roots - the Leeds Music Festival annually over the August bank holiday at Bramham Park. Leeds International Film festival bursts into life every November with numerous film screenings, talks and workshops particularly at the Leeds Arts Cinema centre - the Hyde Park Picture House and at the Carriageworks on Millennium Square. The North's premier National Ballet are based here in Leeds, and you'll find them performing regularly at the historic Grand Theatre Leeds and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Alongside ballet the Phoenix Dance Theatre offer cutting edge contemporary dance performances usually at the Playhouse. The best of northern opera is based here in Leeds too. Opera North perform regularly at the Leeds Grand Theatre, constantly pushing the boundaries of opera and attracting new audiences.

Leeds Theatres

Like all the Yorkshire cities, Leeds offers a superb choice of theatre venues from the historic Leeds Grand Theatre on New Briggate, first opened in 1878, to the acclaimed modern drama mecca - the West Yorkshire Playhouse. The atmospheric and recently refurbished Leeds Grand Theatre is one of the great classic historic Yorkshire theatres and today plays host to internationally renowned productions particularly musicals, many of which come from the West End and Broadway. Look to the West Yorkshire Playhouse for cutting edge drama and often the best of radical UK theatre whilst the Carriageworks on buzzing Millennium Square offers an eclectic mix of musicals, dance, film, plays and workshops. The Carriageworks is main host venue for the annual Leeds Film Festival. Ever wondered where the BBC classic music hall take - The Good Old Days was filmed? The Leeds City Varieties Music Hall on Swan Street is where, and it's still offering up some superb old style music hall nights across March and April, plus numerous other music and comedy performances through the rest of the year. For forthcoming performances at all these superb Leeds Theatre venues checkout the individual webguides right for details.

West Yorkshire Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UP. Box Office Tel. 0113 213 7700. The Carriageworks, The Electric Press, 3 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD. Tel Enq. 0113 247 4746. Box Office tel. 0113 224 3801.

Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, 46 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU. Tel Information 0113 245 6014, Tel Tickets. 0870 122 2820.

City Varieties Music Hall, Swan Street, Leeds LS1 6LW. T. Booking Line 0113 234 1800, General Enq. 0113 391 7777.

Leeds Opera, Dance & Concert Season

Based at the Leeds Grand Theatre, Opera North is the UK's national opera company in the North. With numerous awards under its belt, Opera North is renowned for pushing the boundaries of opera offering unique and individual performances of favourite opera by the likes of Verdi and Benjamin Britten. The magnificent Leeds Town Hall is the main setting for the Leeds International Concert season, alongside more intimate concert hall - The Venue. Full listings for this season are via the weblinks and encompass a full programme of jazz, world music, folk, classical and brass. Access free performances of Leeds lunchtime chamber music at the Venue on Wednesdays and checkout the superb choice of special Musical Carousel Children's Concerts at the Venue every Sunday. Not just a UK centre for opera and live music, Leeds is also a central hub for dance. The Leeds based Northern Ballet Theatre perform regularly at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Leeds Grand Theatre. Alongside ballet, Leeds is home to one of the UK's most acclaimed and innovative contemporary dance companies - the Phoenix Dance Theatre. This company started from small roots in inner-city Leeds and continues its accessible remit, opening up contemporary dance to new audiences. The favoured venue for the Phoenix Dance Theatre is the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Leeds International Concert Season, PO Box 596, Leeds LS2 8YQ. Tel. 0113 247 8336. See also The Venue, Leeds College of Music, 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7PD. Tel. 0113 222 3400.

Northern Ballet Theatre, West Park Centre, Spen Lane, Leeds LS16 5BE. Tel. 0113 274 5355. Phoenix Dance Theatre, 3 St Peter's Buildings, St Peter's Square, Leeds LS9 8AH. Tel. 0113 242 3486.

Opera North at the Leeds Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NU. Tel Info. 0113 223 3500. Tickets 0870 122 4362.

Leeds Cinema & Leeds International Film Festival

The Leeds International Film Festival bursts into life every November with events and film showings in Leeds' superb choice of cinemas and other venues. Main hub venues for film screens are the two Vue cinemas in Leeds - one at The Light on the Headrow and the other on Kirkstall Road. Other big venues during the festival include The Carriageworks on Millennium Square and slightly out of the centre the superb Leeds independent cinema mecca - The Hyde Park Picture House off the A660 towards Headingly. Leeds Film Festival passes can be purchased giving you unlimited access to all screenings. Checkout the Leeds Film Festival webguide right for forthcoming festival details.

To accompany the main November Leeds Film Festival, the Leeds Young People's Film Festival runs annually end-March into April. This event sees an extravaganza of films for and about children with screenings at the Vue at Kirkstall mostly and some at Hyde Park Picture House. Special workshops, talks and events also run at Leeds venues like the Leeds Art Gallery.

Leeds International Film Festival office, Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AD. Tel. 0113 2478398. Box Office tel. 0113 224 3801 City Centre Box Office, The Carriageworks Theatre, 3 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD.

The Hyde Park Picture House, Brudenell Road, Leeds, LS6 1JD. Tel. 0113 275 2045.

Leeds Music Festival - August Bank Holiday

Leeds Music Festival at Bramham Park, Wetherby, West Yorkshire is one of the most popular annual music festivals in the UK, and retains some of it's historical 'rock' edge.

Tickets usually go on sale end of March (check the webguide right for an update) At Leeds there's about six stages, including the usual NME, Radio 1 and Carling Stages. The festival's location Bramham Park is spacious, with campsites spread out so you don't feel like cattle herded into a cramped field! They even had showers on the campsites, a festival luxury! Other facilities on this ideal site off the A64 eastbound include a choice of bars, cash points, first aid and paramedics, food and other stalls including funky and cheap clothing and herbs and natural high tents, general information tents, left luggage, a meeting point, market stalls, various merchandise, showers, and a Welfare Tent.

For novices to music festivals, it's well worth having a good read of the official Leeds/Reading Music Festival website before you go (check the link to the right). There's full details on here with directions for parking, and how the entrance procedure works.

Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, West Yorkshire. For detailed directions check the Leeds Music Festival webguide.

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